A Singer Sewing Machine is not a piano

Updated 9/18/20

A singer sewing machine is not a piano. But I accepted the challenge of restoring a sewing machine cabinet that had been badly water damaged. Water and veneered pieces do not go well together. That's especially true for old veneered panels that were glued with hot hide glue, which is still completely soluble in water decades after it has set.

Normally, folks wouldn't come to me with a sewing machine restoration project, but friends being friends, it can happen. And who am I to say that I'm not the right guy to restore the family heirloom for a friend? So I said what I say, "Sure. I can fix that." But I knew that it was quite a project.

The sad little cabinet that arrived in my shop.

The delaminated veneer and panels simply could not be salvaged.

Fortunately the cabinet below the top panels was largely undamaged, so on the bright side, my task was limited to recreating the top panels. Some clever work went into the creation of this hideaway machine, and it would take some clever work to recreate it.

My first order of business was to create two oak veneered panels. While the original was a hardwood panel veneered with oak, I chose to use modern materials for the panel core, while trimming it in solid oak. Unfortunately, I could not duplicate the thickness of original panels with medium density fiberboard (MDF) of standard thickness. That's where another friend came in handy! My friend Justin volunteered to grind some MDF down to my specification of 0.585 inches using an industrial thickness sander at his workplace. It's nice to have friends! My favorite veneer supplier sent me some very nice oak veneer.

Gluing the veneer in my vacuum press set up.

With two stock router bits and a bit of hand shaping, I came very close to the original edge profile.

The original edge profile

From this point, a number of careful steps were needed to shape parts for the hide-away.

I'm getting close! Projects like this are amazing to execute, because the risk cost of a mistake multiply as each step is completed. I'm getting close, though!

The old is new again:

Just like Grandma would remember.

What was, and what is.